Hanging on to hope

VICKY BEECHING WRITES CANDIDLY ABOUT LIFE SINCE SHE CAME OUT AND HOW WE CAN SUPPORT EACH OTHER IN CHALLENGING TIMES

PHOTO NICHOLAS DAWKES

Every morning my alarm clock wakes me up with Radio 4’s Today programme. It’s the best way to get me out of bed as I’m a total news and politics junkie. As the famous BBC “pips” mark the hour and the headlines are read out, I emerge from under the duvet. Still listening, I make some tea in my favourite Harry Potter Gryffindor mug, then scan social media to see what stories are gathering momentum on Twitter.

Usually, that morning routine is a fairly relaxed affair as my brain eases into the day. But during the past few months, staying on top of political news has felt like herding cats or catching rabbits. So much has been happening; there’s always a dramatic new turn of events.

A few headlines this summer have made me question whether I’d fallen back to sleep and was simply having a bad dream. Surely Boris Johnson can’t actually be our foreign secretary? Surely Donald Trump can’t truly be in the running for US President? The world gets stranger and stranger.

About DIVA Magazine

Our September issue cover star is chat show host Ellen DeGeneres
Also in this issue
Jack Monroe: My crowdfunding success story PLUS a tasty new recipe
Phyll Opoku-Gyimah: Why we must support #BlackLivesMatter
Vicky Beeching: How to survive the toughest of times
Heather Peace shares her tips on preparing for parenthood
Eleanor Margolis on why there’s nothing more lesbian than a boy crush
Jay Bernard on the inspirational Sisters Uncut
Why are 73% of lesbian and bi women still not fully out at work?
Gemma Whelan: the Game of Thrones star on why she loves kissing women
Hope Powell: Changing the game for women’s football
Mrs & Mrs Spraggan: Lucy and Georgina share their wedding day with us
Sophie Ward interviews Liz Carr on her new musical
Plus all the very best in life, scene, books, film, music and TV.